NEWS. ANDREAS BERTAGGIA NEW EFDA PRESIDENT
12 May 2022
On 12 May 2022 the EFDA Assembly of Delegates elected Andreas Bertaggia as new President.
Bertaggia is Vice-President, Head of Global Supply Chain of Bossard Group in Switzerland. He succeeds Dr Volker Lederer, who successfully held this office for 10 years and had decided not to run for another term. (EFDA press release)
NEWS. EU DUTIES TO DISRUPT SUPPLY CHAIN
20 December 2021
In proposing duties of up to 86.5 percent on Chinese fasteners, the EU is creating a permanent supply problem for the European industry thereby putting ‘Made in EU’ at risk. The excessively high duties will hit European companies at a time when they are already suffering from massive supply problems. (EFDA press release)
NEWS. Meet EFDA at the Fastener Fair Stuttgart.
22 February 2019
EFDA will be present at the upcoming Stuttgart Fastener Fair, the world’s leading fair of the fastener and fixing industry, held from 19 to 21 March 2019 in Stuttgart, Germany.
Come to our stand to learn more about EFDA’s work, mission and services. There you will have the occasion to exchange views and experience with some of our members and explore the advantages of membership.
Join us! You will find us in hall 5, stand 3451.
At our stand you will have the occasion to learn about EFDA’s work, mission and services:
- Bringing together the European fastener distribution sector.
- Maintaining a global network with international partner organizations.
- Promoting the value of fastener distributors as integrated logistics partners for European industry.
- Representing the distribution sector at European and global level.
- Promoting free and fair trade in an open marketplace.
Your company can contribute to and benefit from EFDA’s strength by joining one of our national associations in Britain & Irland, France, Germany, Netherlands and Spain. Distributors from other countries can now directly join EFDA through MEFDA – ‘More EFDA’.
Meet us at the Stuttgart Fastener Fair and come to our stand. We are looking forward to meeting you there!
NEWS. EFDA brings them together in Rotterdam
29 June 2018
One hundred and twenty delegates and international guests attended the Sixth Triennial EFDA Conference at the stylish Mainport Hotel on the banks of the River Maas. The event clearly demonstrated the membership growth, increasing relevance and expanding global reach of EFDA.
President, Dr Volker Lederer, welcomed delegates from EFDA’s constituent national associations and, especially, honoured guests representing fastener industry associations in China, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, the United States as well as Europe.
The first keynote speaker was Mr Wolfgang Mueller, from DG Trade, European Commission, who spoke in detail on EU-USA trade relationships, the WTO, and the modernisation of EU Trade Defence Instruments. Mr Ronald Roosdorp, from the Netherland Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also addressed trade issues and challenges - with a distinctively Dutch perspective. Dr Bart Kuipers, of the Erasmus University, concluded the session with a fascinating insight to the Port of Rotterdam, its history, extraordinary scale and throughput before outlining some of the challenges it faced for the future.
As is customary, the conference was addressed by the president of the EIFI, Mr Anders Karlsson - always a welcome and thought-provoking speaker.
The afternoon concluded with a new Discussion Forum, featuring all of the international associations and moderated by Fastener + Fixing Executive Editor, Phil Matten. It brought together a truly diverse range of global perspectives on the implications for the fastener industry of raw material trends, global economic conditions, protectionism, developments in vehicle powertrains and the challenges of recruiting talented young professionals.
An evening of relaxed, international networking, opened with a cocktail hour hosted by NEVIB, whose president, and a proud citizen of Rotterdam, welcomed delegates again. For the gala dinner, culinary delights were presented against the backdrop of the Rotterdam evening skyline, seen from the hotel’s sixteenth floor.
EFDA wishes to express its particularly appreciation to NEVIB for hosting the Conference and also the international guests who travelled to Rotterdam to contribute so generously.
NEWS. Lederer re-elected as EFDA President
14 June 2018
During the EFDA Triennial Conference in Rotterdam, Dr. Volker Lederer, managing director of Lederer GmbH and board member of the FDS was re-elected as EFDA president for a further two-year term. Gian Marco Dalpane, president of the Union of Italian Fastener Distributors, was elected as vice-president.
Dr. Lederer has served as EFDA president since 2012. His unanimous re-election, by delegates from the national associations plus MEFDA that make up the European Fastener Distributor Association, was proposed by Robert Klassen of NEVIB and Ian Doherty of the BIAFD - both of whom emphasised the exemplary role Volker Lederer has played in leading EFDA.
Gian Marco Dalpane is the owner of the Bulloneria Emiliana and Sappino companies and has been president of the Union of Italian Fastener Distributors (UDIB) since December 2012, an organisation in which he has participated for more than twenty years. During his office he has actively represented and promoted UDIB and EFDA at major fastener events around the world. Under his presidency UDIB has strengthened its role in its domestic market and seen a growth in membership. Dr Florian Seidl of the FDS nominated Mr Dalpane who was also elected unanimously. Mr Dalpane thanked delegates for investing their confidence in him and committed to fulfilling his responsibilities in representing EFDA with dedication and integrity.
NEWS. European Fastener Distributor Conference 2018 in Rotterdam
16 April 2018
EFDA will hold its triennial European Fastener Distributor Conference from 13 to 16 June 2018 in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The conference is the central event for EFDA members to discuss major issues and developments regarding the fastener business and global trade developments in general. It is a good platform to make new and further develop existing contacts with representatives of leading fastener distributors from several European countries.
We are expecting guest speakers from our partner organizations in China, Taiwan, Korea, the US and Europe as well as a representative of the European Commission and representatives of the Dutch government.
The conference will be held together with the annual EFDA Assembly of Delegates meeting. EFDA’s Dutch member association NEVIB will have its annual meeting the day after the conference.
Venue is the Mainport Hotel. The hotel is located on the banks of the river Maas and offers sweeping views over the water and the skyline of Rotterdam. The city is famous for its modern and even futuristic architecture and its harbor, the largest port in Europe and one of the world's busiest ports.
NEWS. EFDA EXPLAINS MODERN FASTENER DISTRIBUTION
9 June 2017
EFDA has published “Securing the Future”, a sixteen-page insight to European Fastener Distribution in the 21st Century. The document aims to provide a deeper understanding of the complexities of today’s fastener supply chain particularly to European politicians, civil servants and regulators. EFDA president, Dr Volker Lederer, explains:
“EFDA regularly connects with members of the European Commission at many levels, as well as with European Parliamentarians. During these discussions it is clear there is a limited, and in may ways out-dated, understanding of the role that today’s fastener importers and distributors play in supporting a very wide spectrum of European industry, as well as in providing employment, and contributing generally to the European economy.”
“Securing the Future provides a concise but extensive insight into a sector comprising more than 2500 major distribution companies across Europe, employing more than 44,000 skilled personnel and holding more than 2,000 million euros of inventory, in order to supply more than 130,000 different components, worth more than 10,000 million euros annually.”
“As we say in the brochure, ‘Try finding an industry sector where fastener are not needed’ or where fastener distribution specialists are not active and professional partners to that industry, ensuring that the right fastener, is in the right place, at the right time.”
“Securing the Future’s message is that our sector is no longer a simple ‘box-shifter’ that can adapt overnight to changes in the regulatory environment. In the face of its customers’ increasingly complex demands, the distribution industry has evolved radically. We are now a strategic contributor that literally holds industry together, investing in equipment, connectivity and people to effectively manage a complex global supply chain – both sourcing and supplying fasteners and parts worldwide.”
“We ask for recognition of that contribution and that it should be reflected in a regulatory environment that realises European businesses today are globally inter-connected and need a fair and free trading platform that ensures a reliable, value-aware supply chain to support their futures.”
NEWS. MEET EFDA AT THE FASTENER FAIR STUTTGART
14 January 2017
EFDA will be present at the upcoming Stuttgart Fastener Fair, the world’s leading fair of the fastener and fixing industry, held from 28 to 30 March 2017 in Stuttgart, Germany. Come to our stand to learn more about EFDA’s work, mission and services. There you will have the occasion to exchange views and experience with some of our members and explore the advantages of membership. Join us! You will find us in hall 5, stand 2609.
At our stand you will have the occasion to learn about EFDA’s work, mission and services:
- Bringing together the European fastener distribution sector.
- Maintaining a global network with international partner organizations.
- Promoting the value of fastener distributors as integrated logistics partners for European industry.
- Representing the distribution sector at European and global level.
- Promoting free and fair trade in an open marketplace.
Your company can contribute to and benefit from EFDA’s strength by joining one of our national associations in Britain & Irland, France, Germany, Netherlands and Spain. Distributors from other countries can
now directly join EFDA through MEFDA – ‘More EFDA’.
Meet us at the Stuttgart Fastener Fair and come to our stand. We are looking forward to meeting you there!
NEWS. Meet EFDA at the International Hardware Fair.
29 February 2016
EFDA will be present at the upcoming International Hardware Fair held from 6 to 8 March 2016 in Cologne, Germany. Come to our stand to learn more about EFDA’s work, mission and services. There you will have the occasion to exchange views and experience with some of our members and explore the advantages of membership. Join us! You will find us at the ‘Fastener Forum’ in hall 5.2, stand A 042.
At our stand you will have the occasion to learn about EFDA’s work, mission and services:
- Bringing together the European fastener distribution sector.
- Maintaining a global network with international partner organizations.
- Promoting the value of fastener distributors as integrated logistics partners for European industry.
- Representing the distribution sector at European and global level.
- Promoting free and fair trade in an open marketplace.
Your company can contribute to and benefit from EFDA’s strength by joining one of our national associations in Britain & Irland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. Distributors from other countries can now directly join EFDA through MEFDA – ‘More EFDA’.
Meet us at the International Hardware Fair Cologne and come to our stand. We are looking forward to meeting you there!
NEWS. European Fastener Distributor Conference 2015 in Berlin.
13 February 2015
EFDA will hold its triennial European Fastener Distributor Conference on 15 and16 April 2015 in Berlin. The conference is the central event for EFDA members to discuss major issues and developments regarding the fastener business and global trade developments in general. It is a good platform to make new and further develop existing contacts with representatives of leading fastener distributors from several European countries.
We are expecting guest speakers from our European, American and Asian partner organizations as well as a representative of the European Commission and a Brussels-based lawyer with reports on international trade issues.
The conference will be held together with the annual EFDA Assembly of Delegates meeting. EFDA’s German member association FDS will have its annual meeting the day after the conference.
Venue is the Grand Hyatt Berlin. The hotel is located in the Potsdamer Platz area near the Brandenburg Gate, right on the spot where the Berlin wall divided the city until 25 years ago, passing through of a vast and void territory in the city’s heart. Today the area is a vivid part of central Berlin frequented by many tourists and people working or living there. Is is an excellent place to come together for our European conference.
NEWS. Expiry Review R591 on carbon fasteners from China.
9 January 2015
Today EFDA submitted its reply to the final disclosure by the European Commission regarding Expiry Review R591 on the import of certain iron and steel fasteners from the People’s Republic of China. In its submission, the umbrella organization for European fastener distributors made clear that it does not object in principle to fair and appropriate trade defence measures on fasteners originating from the People’s Republic of China. European fastener importers and distributors maintain, however, that the duty levels applied by the Council by means of Regulation (EC) No 91/2009 were not appropriate to achieve this objective.
The European Commission had submitted to EFDA the final disclosure of the expiry review of anti-dumping measures applicable to imports of certain iron or steel fasteners originating in the PR China (R 591) on 15 December 2014. The Commission's proposal is to maintain the anti-dumping duties. As an interested party, EFDA took the opportunity to respond to the General Disclosure Document. Two companies represented by EFDA participated in the European Commission’s investigation as Union importers. EFDA had already submitted a response to the Commission at the initiation of the procedure, on 7 February 2014.
Despite EFDA’s deep concern that the original decision to impose very high anti-dumping duties has so far proven dysfunctional and that it would be perpetuated if the measures were maintained, European fastener distributors remain to be totally committed to a stronger engagement with the European Commission and will continue to seek equitable solutions to these issues.